And We're Worlds Apart
by NobleAlyssum
Summary: Homura resets the timeline during the events of Episode 12, but Homura isn't the only one with a wish that traverses time and space anymore…
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hello! So this is my first story on here, and I hope you will enjoy it. I don't plan on having many author notes, so please read those that are there. Anyway, reviews are welcome, though I may not reply, I do read them, and I am open to any constructive criticism.**

**Standard disclaimer applies for the whole story.**

Madoka was here again, why was she here? She shouldn't be here, she should be in the shelter, she should be safe! She was supposed to be safe!

"_Homura-chan, I'm sorry."_

No, no, no, no, no! Not again! Please not again!

"_I will become a Puella Magi."_

She always did this! Why couldn't she… Why couldn't she just save her?! Just once!

"_Madoka… that's…"_

She just wanted-

"_I finally understand. I found a wish I want to get fulfilled. So I'll use this life for that, okay?"_

Why was this always the outcome? No matter what path she took, no matter how hard she fought… Madoka would always… always….

"_Don't… Then I… I…"_

She could feel her tears, and her own anguish surging up inside of her.

"_Because then what have I..?"_

What was the point in fighting anymore? Everything she had done… was it a waste?

"_I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."_

No...

"_But I believe it's because you've protected me for so, so long, that I am the person I am now."_

She wouldn't accept this...

"_I really am sorry."_

She still had her promise to fulfill, she still had the power to avert this fate!

"_Won't you believe in the answer that the one you've protected all this time has found? I swear I won't waste everything that you've done for me, Homura-chan."_

Save her, she had to save-

"_Madoka…"_

She couldn't stop fighting now. It was all she knew… and if she had to continue on for all eternity she would. There was no end to this labyrinth, but as long as there was the possibility that Madoka could be saved then...

* * *

Madoka turned away from Homura, it hurt to just leave her there, but she would make sure everything would be better soon. Homura would have to understand. Locking eyes with Kyuubey, she knew, this was what she was meant to do, and only she could do it.

"I wish…" She took a deep breath to center herself. She had to get this right, for all of their sakes. "I wish to erase all witches before they are born… All the witches in all the universes both past and future… With my own hands!"

The fabric of time and space itself began to warp and bend, and it twisted until it snapped and shattered. A bright pink light spread throughout existence, and reality began to rearrange itself according to a new law, _her_ law. Her magic seeped into every crack, every pore of the universe, and began to tie it all together once more.

The universe finished rewriting itself, and Madoka turned her attention to her final enemy… herself. Kriemhild Gretchen laughed as she brought the Earth under her influence, only to burn away in the light of Madoka's holy arrow. Despair, no matter how great, could not stand in the way of the embodiment of Hope itself. With this victory, the cruelty of the Puella Magi cycle had been broken at last.

Before her eyes, Madoka could see visions of everything that ever was, might have been, or would be dance, and for the first time she understood. She could see the life of every Puella Magi, their hopes and dreams, their pain and suffering, their beginning and end. Sayaka, Mami, Kyoko...and Homura. Her heart ached when she thought of her Homura,and all that she had been through for the sake of her.

Countless timelines stemmed from Homura's footsteps, and Madoka could see every single one. How many times had Homura cried? How many times had she broken apart? Every time, she would pull herself together, and begin the cycle anew. How could one person hold that much devotion? When Homura had said she wasn't human, she spoke the truth. That depth of emotion, that _love_, it shouldn't be possible, but Homura had shouldered on her own for so long… Now she could begin to try and repay her for everything, though she knew she never could.

Homura should have been here somewhere… Her powers would hold her out of the timestream and she would be able to remember her in the new world, all Madoka had to do was find her, and then-

She couldn't see her.

This wasn't possible… there was no explanation for what was going on, and what if something had happened to her? Madoka felt panic rise in her heart, her wish was supposed to save everyone, and that _included_ Homura! Her omniscient gaze could find the unburdened Homura of this new world only, but she wasn't… her Homura.

Madoka felt like she might cry, she had just found out who Homura really was, but she… Homura was gone? Even with all of the power this form brought her, she wouldn't be able to ever find her Homura again… It hurt too much to think about.

But then she saw it.

A place of the universe where the fabric was pulled thin, translucent enough for her to see through. On the other side she could see a bundle of timelines, bound together tightly enough to make their own small world.

A world that always began on March 16th and ended on May 1st...and the only thing binding the two realities together was a single pink thread.

_Oh Homura..._

* * *

As Madoka turned away from her once more, and bright light filled her vision, all sound faded away except for the whirring and clinking of gears in Homura's shield.


	2. Chapter 2

**MARCH 16**

Homura woke to a white ceiling and the smell of sterilizing agents. _Here again…_ She sat up and began to unbind her hair from the braids that held them. She ignored the glasses she kept on the side table. They were nothing but a reminder of who she had been…

She hadn't been strong enough to save Madoka, _never was_ her mind whispered. But she had been so close! If she had only fought harder, been faster, stronger, then maybe… Homura tore her mind from those thoughts. Every moment she wallowed in self-pity was another moment wasted. Madoka wouldn't survive otherwise.

Homura pulled out her soul gem and stared into it's depths. It was still dangerously murky, and couldn't be left like this for much longer. A quick transformation, and she was able to pull out a Grief Seed to purify it's taint. As the darkness was pulled out of her gem, Homura could feel her thoughts become clearer, sharper. She would be discharged today, and though the doctors would protest, she knew what to say to placate them. She _had_ done it countless times before.

* * *

Her apartment was cold and empty save for the multitude of boxes that filled the rooms. It was to be expected, her parents had rented it out for her while she was in the hospital, and she hadn't had a chance to furnish it yet. Her parents… When had she lost thought of them? It wasn't like they had ever been close, but they had cared for her, provided her with the best treatment they could.

She could barely remember their voices.

It didn't matter, none of it mattered. If she could save Madoka, she would do anything. She had changed from their first meeting, she knew this. After so many times rewinding time, reliving the same moments again and again, watching everyone die again and again… It was only natural she became like this, wasn't it? She would cut everything out of her heart, all of her emotions and feelings until there was nothing left but Madoka if that was what it took.

Homura began unpacking the boxes, pulling out the items that would furnish her base of operations, setting the projector beside the wall to be set up later.

Her thoughts wandered to Madoka, as they inevitably always did. Just thinking about the weight of Madoka's karmic destiny, and her own role in increasing it made her stomach lurch, and her throat tighten.

But it didn't matter. No matter how large her potential, as long as she fought Madoka's fate, the weight of her destiny would never touch her. She would leave as many timelines in ashes as she had to.

If it was for her, Homura would do anything.

* * *

Homura let out a soft sigh as she stretched, easing the tension that had formed. Even as a Puella Magi, the menial labor of setting up her home was still tedious. But she still had much to do, she had to create a base plan for this timeline.

Her words alone weren't enough to sway Madoka. Not even after seeing the truth of the Puella Magi had she listened. If she couldn't convince Madoka, then perhaps another could? When faced with multiple voices, would Madoka finally listen?

She hadn't tried this tactic before, had never tried to save everyone… Not since the initial timelines. Madoka had always been the focus of her efforts, and Homura had since then placed the lives of the others, those who had been her friends once, as disposable in her mind.

Mami Tomoe was too idealistic, and arrogant as well. She was selfish, Homura thought, selfish enough to drag others into this life merely to assuage her own loneliness. She was fragile too, and if pushed would turn on her comrades. Homura had been through too many incidents where Mami broke apart. Of course these incidents only occurred when Mami actually survived. More often than not, Mami inevitably perished within the first few weeks. Homura supposed that the veteran became reckless when she had others by her side, and that led to fatal mistakes with unerring certainty.

Sayaka Miki clung too hard to her fairytales and childish naivette, hiding behind a false belief in justice and bravado. Her talents as a Puella Magi were never strong, not in any of the timelines, but that could be negated with experience, experience that Sayaka would never gain. She was unnaturally prone to turning into a Witch, and met such a fate in almost every timeline she contracted, which was in fact, most of them. If Homura disliked Mami, she _despised_ Sayaka. She hated seeing the tears that Madoka would shed whenever the fate of her _best friend_ was revealed to her. Perhaps, a small part of her was jealous as well. Sayaka would always be close to Madoka, and while distance had grown between Madoka and Homura, it seemed that her relationship with Sayaka would always stay constant.

Kyoko Sakura… was a wildcard. She was brash and impulsive, and lived only for herself. Still, Homura liked her, as much as she could like anyone at this point. She was solid in a fight, and was thankfully mentally stable. When the two of them teamed up, they were truly a fearsome force to be reckoned with. But the role she played was never consistent. In some timelines she never showed up at all. She did however have an annoying tendency to grow fond of Sayaka, and had performed suicide attacks on the Witch she became on multiple occasions. But when she made it to Walpurgisnacht Night, Homura knew she had a solid ally.

She couldn't save them. The fates of Mami and Kyoko had been sealed long ago, and Sayaka would inevitably make a contract to heal that boy she loved so much. But with enough care, she could delay their fates, gain their trust, and get them all to Walpurgisnacht Night. If she did, then there was no doubt in her mind that the Witch would be beaten. If along the way she could convince them that it was best for Madoka to remain as she was, then their words would merely back up Homura's own.

She might not be able to complete her goal this timeline, but she would fight every step of the way until she failed, and then she would try again and again until the plan could be executed properly. This time she had the power to back up the drive to save them, even if it was only to use them. If she could pull this off, the Madoka would be safe…

She would have to gather more weapons. The first encounter with Mami wasn't far off now, nor was her 'first' day at school. She would need to be prepared and ready for anything. In the time between the beginning of her plan and now, she would travel out to collect extra Grief Seeds, heaven knows that Sayaka would need them. As for Kyoko, she would need to figure out some way to draw her here, or retrieve her in person.

She could do this. For _her_.

* * *

Madoka looked upon the new world and the far reaches of her domain, but found no joy. With her magic, she had been able to create a final resting place for the souls of the Puella Magi that had fought for so long… But she could find little happiness in the peace she provided them.

Of course she was happy to do fulfil her duties, it _had_ been her wish… But it felt hollow with the knowledge that Homura was out of her reach. For how much longer could she fight? At what point would she give in? Madoka already knew the answer to this.

Homura Akemi would fight for _eternity_ alone if she had to.

Such a fate was far too cruel to contemplate, and as a Goddess, Madoka had. Time meant nothing to her, all was relative. She filled her thoughts with Homura for an eternity and for a second alone.

Madoka turned her attention back to the thread connecting their separate worlds. She had an eternity to fulfill her duties… But so did Homura.

Madoka Kaname had no intention of leaving Homura alone for an eternity.

* * *

She grasped the pink strand, and her magic surged along it.


	3. Chapter 3

**MARCH 18**

Her steps were quick but steady as she followed her chosen path. A sharp turn here, a detour down an alleyway here... A quick consultation with her internal clock, and she increased her pace. She never even had to look at a clock anymore to know the time. The hours shifted in her chest, the minutes curled across her fingertips, the seconds danced underneath her eyelids, and she could feel each swing of the pendulum in her pulse.

3

2

1

There!

Homura snatched up the cat from its perch near the road, encasing it protectively in her arms. Madoka had contracted with Kyubey originally to save this cat after it ventured out onto the street. It was only natural then, that Homura would save the cat that Madoka had once given up her life for.

She walked home with the cat still cradled protectively in her arms, it's warmth held against her chest, with soft purrs speaking of its own contentment.

Homura would look after the cat for a few days when she wasn't busy, before allowing it to roam free again.

Sometimes that cat would stay.

* * *

**MARCH 25**

The skies were grey and clouded over, and the city lay in ruins beneath her feet. There was only the crunch of gravel and rubble beneath her feet to break the eerie silence that had fallen upon the city.

In the distance she could see a girl with long dark hair. Something in her told her she knew this girl... That she had been the one fighting against the monster looming over them in the sky.

That girl's leg was trapped underneath a fallen piece of concrete, and blood trickled down the skin on her face, too much red against that pale white. As she ran to the girl, and held her hand in her own in a gesture of comfort, her mind distractedly realized that she was beautiful. She almost looked like a doll...

Words escaped her lips, but she couldn't understand them. When the injured girl began to cry, she wanted nothing more than to stay there and comfort her, but she had something to do, an important duty to fulfill...

She turned away from the girl in the rubble towards a white creature, and spoke.

"I wish..."

After that, nothing made sense. She could make out images, flashes of scenes, and there were stars, an infinity of them, there were galaxies, and the universe was so big, and there was just too much to-

* * *

Madoka woke up with a startled gasp before remembering where she was. That was definitely one of the strangest dream she had experienced. Yet even now, she could feel the details fading from her memory.

Still, the dream had left an impression her, and while she didn't really understand what actually happened in the dream some of the images remained in her mind.

She could foggily remember the girl in her dreams, and felt an odd sense of nostalgia overcome her. But as the sleep cleared from her mind, the dream went to the back of Madoka's thoughts. She still had her morning routine to complete after all!

* * *

"Alright, we have a new student joining our class today, she's been in the hospital for the last few months, so please do your best to help her. Please come in Miss Homura Akemi."

A large amount of chatter sprung up among the students as the newest member of the class walked in.

_"Wow, she's so pretty!"_

_"Her hair is so long!"_

_"She was in the hospital?"_

The noise died out as began to write the kanji for Homura's name, but faltered on the last one. With practiced ease, Homura took the pen in her own hand and finished the writing in precise, neat script.

Madoka couldn't tear her eyes away. Pieces of her dream that morning came rushing back in full force, and when Homura looked her way, she felt her face heat up, undoubtedly turning a bright red.

* * *

When class was dismissed for break, Homura found herself surrounded by her schoolmates, as was the case in every timeline. Having experienced this countless times before, she answered their questions with ease, before excusing herself, claiming that the stress had gotten to her. Politely declining their offers to escort her, she made her way over to the desk Madoka was seated in.

"Kaname Madoka, right? You are the class nurse aren't you? I'm afraid I'm not feeling well... Could I ask you to escort me to the nurse's office?"

She waited patiently for Madoka to stutter out a reply. She would need to work on that, her plan would require her to befriend Madoka, not intimidate her into compliance. While she couldn't change back into the girl she once was, she could stand to show a bit of warmth... If she portrayed herself as stoic, but shy, then perhaps Madoka would become more comfortable around her?

This time, she let Madoka lead the way to the nurse's office, as when she were to lead the way herself, it usually tended to create an air of unease. They walked in silence for the most part, before Madoka finally worked up the courage to speak, glancing over her shoulder fretfully.

"Akemi-san, the nurse's office is, uh, this way..."

A moment of heavy silence followed before she heard a response.

"You may call me Homura."

She wanted her to call her by her first name? That was a bit forward, wasn't it? But perhaps that meant that Homura liked her? It was more likely that she just didn't care though...

"A-Ah, Homura, it's kind of an unusual name right? Oh, um! Not that it's a bad name! I j-just meant that it sounded cool! I mean..."

Her voice trailed off, and she began to fidget. She could practically feel the weight of Homura's gaze upon her back, and cringed. She wasn't usually this awkward! There was just something about Homura that made her feel like she _needed_ to impress her. _Not that she was succeeding_, Madoka thought bitterly.

"Ah, thank you. Your name is cute though… It suits you."

Madoka looked back at Homura, and blushed when she saw a soft smile adorning her face. She didn't know _why_ Homura affected her so, but it was embarrassing. But she didn't seem as cold as she first appeared to be, maybe she was just not used to interacting with people? She had been in the hospital hadn't she? If she had been sick before then, that probably meant she didn't have the chance to interact with others then either...Maybe she just needed a friend? Feeling a little more confident, Madoka turned to face Homura directly.

"This might be a bit sudden but… Would you like to eat lunch with me and my friends today?"

Homura was silent for a moment, her expression giving the appearance of deep thought. In reality though she was just a little surprised at how easily Madoka had warmed up to her. But then again, it _was_ Madoka. She was compassionate and friendly to a fault after all. If she could integrate herself into her school group, she would probably be able to gain Sayaka's favor as well, which would help her ensure her cooperation. It was nice though… To be able to actually start a friendship with Madoka again.

She wouldn't waste this opportunity.

"That would be nice."

* * *

**AN: Thank you for the reviews and attention on this story. It really makes me inspired! If you guys have any questions, feel free to shoot me a message, and hopefully I'll be able to answer.  
**


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